A Few Interviews on Dan Tencer’s Show

Steve Tambellini:

… on training camp
– Very pleased with how training camp went.
– Thought the guys worked at a high tempo.
– Looking forward to the regular season.
– Fluff, fluffity, fluff.. not much to report on here, to be honest.

…on the coaching staff
– There are no shortcuts in the mandate he’s given the players.
– Quinn really believes in the process – “You don’t get to step 3 until you’ve gone through step 1 and 2 first”.
– Want to confront every issue where it’s not in the best interest of the team.
– Fluff, fluffity, fluff.. not much to report on here either, so on to the interesting stuff….

…on the roster surprises – JFJ on top line, Gagner on 4th line, etc.
– The message at the start of the year was “please compete for your job / time on ice” whether it is special team or 5 on 5.
– Internal competition is new for players, but this is what they are now seeing.
– Everyone had a clean slate, and thus why JFJ had a chance on the top line and PK and PP, just as other unlikely players have.
– JFJ has stood up and wants more responsibility and he commands a presence. Tambellini very pleased with him, and Stone.
– Want people to be hungry to win a position, not think that they have a lock on a spot and are just looking to improve a bit.
– Wanted to see emotion and competitiveness.
– Gagner basically was put on the 4th line for the same reason Schremp didn’t make the team… Tambellini told the players to fight for their jobs, and he didn’t do quite enough.Side note: Dan Tencer mentioned later in the show that they need to “coddle” Gagner because they brought him in at a young age. He needs to be worked into the top line soon, and at the very least the 2nd line center. Says it doesn’t have to be done right away, but Gagner should be given some leeway. Any extended period of time with Gagner on the 4th line is inadvisable. Its fine to send him a message, but beyond that it needs to be short term. Tencer also mentions he feels that Gagner can’t develop into the player he needs to while playing with Moreau and Stortini (well, duh). Has no issue

…on fernando Pisani
– Fernando Pisani will be on the LTIR (giving cap relief for the time being).
– Hurt his back in practice a few days ago.. can’t even get in/out of his car.
– Out for an indefinite, significant amount of time.

Side note: In order to be on the IR, Pisani has to miss at least 24 days and at least 10 consecutive games.

…on Marc Pouliot
– Will be on the regular Injured Reserve.

…on Theo Peckham
– Reiterates that he was sent to Springfield today.
– Still hurt, but will be doing on ice training soon and ready for practice in a couple of days.

…on Rob Schremp
– Hopes he gets a chance to show his best assets (“his hands and offensive creativity”) in NY and wishes him luck.
– Doesn’t feel Rob Schremp outplayed the other skill guys to make the team, and thus why he was cut.

Louie DeBrusk

…on the roster surprises – JFJ on top line, Gagner on 4th line, etc.
– Maybe a good thing in the long run for Gagner.
– Feels he handles adversity well and just tries to get better every day.
– Understand the message Quinn is sending to Gagner.
– Feels every line has offensive skill and grit/sandpaper and feels Quinn is successful in what he is looking for.
– Quinn has the flexibility to tweak the lineup a bit.
– Quinn’s line decision give players motivation to work harder to earn a better spot in the lineup.
– Jacques/Stone/Penner/Moreau/Stortini gives a “security blanket” for skill players to do what they should do, but you can also put the skill guys all together late in the line up if need be.
-Dan Tencer mentions that in order for Quinn’s game plan to work, it’s going to take a B+ or A+ effort from guys like Stone/JFJ.
– DeBrusk mentions that he feels that an A+ effort is what you’re going to get out of the JFJ/Brule/Stone players, and it shows confidence on the part of Pat Quinn to give these guys these role. Good vote of confidence from the coach. Feels the locker room is buying into it.

…on some vets being in “cruise control” in the pre-season
– Mentions that guys like Hemsky are battling injuries.
– The veterans know when it’s time to get revved up.
– They know when to work harder and when to turn it on and it can take a bit longer for some because they can be wary of injuries.

…on Khabibulin
– DeBrusk mentions he played with him in Phoenix.
– When he’s on his game and playing well, hes amazing and hard to get a BB by him.
– Agreed that he struggled in pre-season and didn’t look very good, likely because it’s a learning process for him and because of the dehydration.
– Dehydration was an issue in Phoenix for several players, but Khabi battled through it and played very well in a playoff series.
– Feels that he only left the net because it was exhibition.. wouldn’t do the same in a playoff situation because he’s a big competitor.
– Feels he will be ready and have a strong season this year and it is not a concern.
– DeBrusk speaks pretty highly of Khabibulin’s compete level when it matters.

Pat Quinn

…on the roster surprises – JFJ on top line, Gagner on 4th line, etc.
– Mentions that part of the coaches’ job is to bring these guys to a higher level
– Trying to build a group where they can play 4 lines, so Gagner will still have an important part
– There will be flexibility on who plays with who on any given moment
– Not set in stone, what was seen in practice today
– The new kids have to show the improvement
– Know these kids have skill, just haven’t necessarily learned to use it as well as they can
– Need to learn how to use their skills in a team environment (not just individually, beating guys one on one)
– Mentioned their successes 2 seasons ago, but suggested the success they had may have been disguised by the 19 overtime games they got an extra point in, with 15 of them being shootout wins.
– Says they need to get back to the basics of the game, continue to grow and be more responsible defensively

Side note: Dan Tencer mentioned that Pat Quinn’s message is patience and that they aren’t just going to hand things over to the kids just because of their name.. they need to earn their way into the lineup.

Sam Gagner

…on “I’m playing with who?!?”
– Feels he has a lot in him
– May just have been over-thinking things in the pre-season
– Says he will settle in, simplify things and get better
– Very confident he can work his way off of the 4th line
– Will take the practice time to get the dialog going with the coaches
– Not reading into the 4th line demotion too much
– Knows what to expect from himself and once games start for real, he will be ready (alluding perhaps that he didn’t take the pre-season seriously enough)
– Feels confident going into the season
– Feels he can play the same way from the 4th line that he normally would
– Linemates are out of his control, so he is not focusing on that

Side note: Dan Tencer comments on the last note, thinking that Gagner looks at the line the same way as we do… that it’s not a line built for Gagner and he needs different linemates to be successful. But he will likely get an opportunity on a better line soon enough.

Rob Schremp Hockey

It would seem that the New York Islanders are buying into Youtube sensation, Rob Schremp. Newsday.com reports on excitement brewing from the Islanders GM and coaching staff.

“He’s got incredible skill. On a breakaway, he can make a lacrosse-style goal. His hands are really good,” said New York Islanders coach Scott Gordon. “He has the opportunity of a second chance. What he does with it is in his hands.” The article mentions that Gordon feels that if Schremp lives up to potential, he could wind up in their top-six.Side note: Of course, that is only if Magnus Gustavsson, and Jerry Hornhoffer don’t manage to impress the coach enough to keep him out of their top six. Ok, I just made those two names up… do the Isles still have Yashin there? Mike Bossy? I think I can crack their current top six.

“He’s a highly skilled, offensively gifted player with great vision,” General Manager for the Islanders, Garth Snow said Tuesday. “He’s at an age where he is still maturing as a hockey player and a person, so there’s upside there for our organization. To take a chance on a player like this, it seemed like it was a no-brainer to claim Rob.”

Expectedly, Rob Schremp welcomed the trade with open arms and sounded very upbeat about the second “second chance”. “It’s exciting. It’s a new situation and I can’t wait to get back on the ice. I’m not expecting anything. I’m going in with open arms and am ready to learn. I just want to stick around and see what happens,” Schremp stated. “I think I have creative ability, the ability to make plays and I can put the puck in the back of the net. But I have to prove myself. I have a long way to come until I’m a proven NHLer.”

Lastly, a Few Tidbits from Around the NHL

– The Phoenix Coyotes have Robert Lang to a 1-year deal. No word on amount yet.
– The Atlanta Thrashers have signed Maxim Afinogenov to a 1-year deal worth $800k.
– The Vancouver Canucks return Cody Hodgson to the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League
– 1:00 MST is the deadline to get under the cap and to a 23-man roster. The Oilers have already done both now with the recent moves.
– Mats Sundin announced that he will be retiring.
– Cam Ward signed a 6-year extension with the Hurricanes with a cap hit of $6.3M per year, according to Capgeek.

I can add a page just for random chat or something. I thought about the forum (i.e. a forum like the Oilers message board) but I didn’t think that there was enough traffic here yet to make the forum anything other than a barren wasteland But I think a page dedicated just to you guys chatting up whatever you want would work. Thoughts? Also feel free to go off topic on the posts here. We’re not going to go all mod-Nazi on you for straying off topic.

hehe…yeah, a random chat page might be good, really, I was just thinking that having a discussion area for misc. stuff, that doesn’t keep getting bumped lower and lower with every blog update you do.

by the way, is it just me, or is it really painful to go to the OMB ever since it changed over?

I really tried to have an open mind and embrace the change, but it’s just awful there now. I rarely go there anymore, which kind of sucks, but I hate it, and I know the admins had it shoved down their throats too, and had no choice in the matter, but how long has it been now, and I haven’t had so much as a “hey, we’re still woking on it” regarding the name changes and other crap.

I’m a bit suprised as well. They are balanced lines for sure, but how often do teams roll balanced lines? You need a checking line as every other team will have an offensive line.

Could all change by the end of game 1 when Quinn figures out that the Flames are bringing Iggy, Olli, and whoever on the ice at the same time. Need to match with a skill line or a shutdown line.

DropIt: Wow, shocked at some of the lineup decisions… But JFJ definately earned his shot after his preseason showing.
Stone over Penner for 2nd line would have been a tough decision after both their preseasons, but I’m glad to see Stone get a shot, I think he is going to be a solid hockey player.
Also, does this not look like potentially the most iced 3rd line in the league?

hahah, she’s funny…that was the second or third trade she’s been offered, and all of them have actually been pretty decent/even offers that she should have actually considered but is adamant that she will make no trades because she thinks that since she’s a girl everyone is just trying to pull one over on her. pretty funny.

That ifunny, mainly because I was hping I wasn’t the first to offer her a trade for that reason. That she thought I would be trying to screw her over haha. But ya I just noticed I had 3 reserve RWs and she had none.
Its now my goal to get her to accept a trade.

gr8one: Hey Racki, would you consider adding a general forum here?something small and manageable, just a “general discussion” type thing where we could discuss some topics that aren’t solely based on your daily blogs and stuff.Just a thought.

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